1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus having a Web browser function, an index generation method for the image processing apparatus, and a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded an index generation program to be executed at the image processing apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image processing apparatus concatenating a read document image with an obtained Web page and then generating an index of the concatenated image, an index generation method for the image processing apparatus, and a computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded an index generation program to be executed at the image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image formation apparatus (image processing apparatus) reading out and providing a copy of a document is known. Some image formation apparatuses can obtain a Web page from an external source through a network by using a Web browser. Various techniques are proposed to output a read document and/or obtained Web page.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-132042 discloses an index generation apparatus. According to this publication, a scanner in a copy machine reads out a document to obtain a document image. A marking recognition unit recognizes any marked data, if present, indicating that a marking has been applied into a document by the user in the document image. An operation unit can display the under-mark data recognized by the marking recognition unit and receive a selected designation of those to be used as a title in an index by the user. An index organization unit generates index data based on under-mark data that is used for a title in an index. An image processor outputs index data or copy data of a document as the print data in a predetermined format. A printer unit outputs the print data in the form of a printed work.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-307777 discloses a digital copy device. According to this publication, an instruction to append link information indicating that, when Text 1, Text 2 and Text 3 generated by a computer and an image A scanned by the digital copy device are to be printed in the order of Text 1, Text 2, Image A, and Text 3, and all are to be bound together by a staple, each data thereof constitutes one job, is provided. Then, to a printer controller are transferred Text 1, Text 2 and Text 3 from the computer, and image A from the digital copy machine. The printer controller stores each data with the appended link information in a memory device, and conducts printing sequentially from the digital copy machine. When the printing operation of the text is completed, the staple mechanism at a finishing unit is operated to allow the printed sheets to be bound together by a staple.
Recently, there are many documents with a Web address for citation/reference defined therein. In order to view the content of a Web page whose Web address appears on a document, the user must enter the address additionally upon activating the Web browser. Namely, the user has to take the trouble to enter the address.
Moreover, even if the user fetches a Web page corresponding to a Web address cited on a document, there is a disadvantage that the corresponding relationship between a document image and a Web page is not easily discernible. In other words, after the user fetches or stores a Web page, there may be the case where the user cannot identify which Web page corresponds to a Web address set forth in a document.